


Put your lips on me and I can live under water

by Ra_chelB



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Character Death, Drowning, Eventual Romance, F/M, Gentle Kissing, Heartbreak, Kissing, Love Confessions, Magic, Matter of Life and Death, Miracles, Mouth-to-Mouth, Pirates, Sailor John, Second Chances, Shipwrecks, mermaid, mermaid au, mermaid veronica
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-26
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:41:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24754933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ra_chelB/pseuds/Ra_chelB
Summary: When your vessel sinks under the attacks of a pirate ship in the middle of a storm there's no way you can survive in the ocean. At least, this is what John Deacon thought. What he doesn't know is that he's incredibly lucky and his gentle heart has been noticed by a mysterious creature.Edit: part 2 uploaded!
Relationships: John Deacon/Veronica Tetzlaff
Comments: 24
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A Johnica Mermaid!AU joined with an artwork I made for a DTIYS on Instagram hosted by @nerdylu.pngs.  
> Check the artwork at the end of the chapter but also on instagram (@ra_rachel.b) and tumblr (eileen-crys).

> **_'Cause all I need_ **  
>  **_Is the love you breathe_ **  
>  **_Put your lips on me and_ **  
>  **_I can live under water,_ **  
>  **_Under water, under water!_ **  
>  **_Under water!_ **
> 
> _\- Mika, Underwater_

A lightning tore the clouds apart crashing against the ocean, soon followed by a loud thunder that reverberated in the sailors' heads.

Another boom, this time coming from a cannon, and the whole ship vibrated, sinking faster thanks to the colossal waves that were already shaking it from side to side. Fire and rain mixed in the night sky.

The sailing vessel was dying between the storm and the pirates' attack; some of the sailors tried to fight back and defend it, some of them jumped in the ocean desperately hoping to reach the land... or to drown quickly. 

John was none other than a simple sailor, now clutching onto a bunch of ropes and praying God to spare his life. Perhaps the pirates would've taken him with them, but he couldn't be a proper pirate, they'd preferred to tear his throat apart and feed him to the sharks. 

Another explosion from the pirates' cannons and the vessel swung with violence. They shot again and a moment later John wasn't on the ship anymore.

The impact against the waves hit him like a wall and he felt his body getting swallowed by water and darkness, the screams of his fellow sailors and the thunders became soon just a muffled silence. 

Everything went quiet for a moment, then his lungs began calling for air. 

John shut his nostrils with a hand and tried to reach the surface with his other limbs, but the freezing water was wrapping his body and pulling him down. 

Swimming didn't help and John's lungs were now aching like hell; he shut his eyes, choking and desperately asking his body to not inhale. 

"No, no!" His head screamed but his mouth opened and inevitably he let the ocean fill his lungs. 

The water was burning like fire inside of him. His whole body felt as heavy as lead and he closed his eyes.

__\---*---  
_ _

John felt something warm wrapping around his waist and pulling him forward.

He didn't know where he was, how much time passed, the memories of the shipwreck seemed from centuries ago. He only knew he was underwater, his whole body incapable to move, his head heavy and sleepy. Was he alive?

Something soft brushed against his lips, delicately opening them, and he felt all the water in his lungs being sucked out and replaced by warm air. Then whatever kissed him shut his mouth once again to keep the air inside. 

"Hold your breath…" 

His eyes fluttered open and he found himself face to face with the most beautiful and ethereal creature he's ever seen. She seemed almost human, with copper hair floating around her face, pale as the moonlight and with pinkish scales scattered on her skin. Her petite breasts were carefully held by a bra adorned with pearls and two bigger pearls were hanging from her earlobes like earrings.

John's eyes travelled along her body and saw that instead of a pair of legs she had a long elegant tail of the same color as corals. She was hugging him tight by his waist and swimming fast, carrying him _somewhere_.

John realized he had been caught by a mermaid, but he heard about these creatures only in legends and myths, even if he was a sailor. They weren't real, he must've been dreaming.

"You're not dreaming, human." 

Her crystalline voice giggled but she didn't open her mouth, it was in his head and he stared in her big brown eyes with confusion.

"And I won't eat you, don't worry. Sirens do that, mermaids like me prefer fishes and molluscs. I want to _save_ you." The mermaid's thin lips curled up in a little smile and the sailor softened, his cheeks flushed, feeling hypnotized by the mermaid's ethereal beauty.

"Are you reading my mind?" He thought clearly and she nodded. 

"We're almost arrived, hold your breath for a moment more." Before John could've done anything she tilted her head and kissed him once again, even though it was more like a mouth-to-mouth since she renewed the air in his lungs like she did before.

John thought how that was possible and she just replied "magic" with a toothy smile. Probably it was something otherworldly and as incredible as her whole existence, he preferred not to ask further.

The mermaid swam in a submerged natural tunnel and went towards the surface.

They emerged in a cave, rays of sunlight shining through the entrance that led to the land. John coughed as he pushed himself on the cave's stone floor and squeezed the salty water from his hair and shirt, finally breathing freely.

The mermaid stared curiously at him from the pool of water, while John looked around and thought that that place seemed to be made exactly for humans and mermaids to meet.

"Hey, uhm… thank you for saving me." He stammered, sitting on the pool's border and dipping his legs in the water.

"You're welcome, human." She replied, this time speaking out loud and placing herself between his knees, leaning on the rocks and waving her tail behind her.

"Why did you… save me?" His heart raced as he talked with that beautiful creature with amber eyes.

"We can see if a man's heart is good or evil, if it's good we have the habit to give him another chance to live, if it's not then we'll let the ocean swallow him. I chose you because I saw you had the purest heart of all your companions." She explained with a smile that ended up in a toothy grin and John felt his whole face blushing. If she were reading his mind now she'd have known how cute and gorgeous she was for him. But maybe she already knew.

"That's… that's very sweet, I feel so lucky…" he whispered in disbelief. 

"John Deacon." As she said her full name out loud -probably found in his mind- John felt a shiver running down his spine and looked in her eyes.

"We have thousands of names, words that you'll never be able to pronounce. But if you desire, I allow you to give me a human name." She said seriously and took one of his hands in hers. "If you do that, I'll be able to come and visit or save you whenever you're in the ocean. But remember: if you betray a mermaid's loyalty you'll be swallowed in the ocean's depth."

John looked down at her, his mouth agape. His life was about to be tied with a mythical creature's, something dangerous and powerful but also fragile and merciful. He took a deep breath, the only reason he was able to do it again now was staring at him, waiting for a response. 

"I promise I'll never betray your loyalty and I'll protect our secret." He gave her a heartfelt smile and leaned down, closing his eyes and softly placing his lips upon hers, abandoning himself to the warmth that was growing in his chest. She let him kiss her deeply, no need of air this time but only to seal their bond, the salty water mixing with the sweetness of their feelings.

And when John pulled away, the mermaid got lost in his eyes as green as the rainy sky.

"For you… I choose the name Veronica."

\---*---


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been 45 years since the kind sailor John has been saved by Veronica, a mermaid whose name he chose and linked them forever.  
> They met again every now and then, not being able to really be together as their hearts wished, gravitating around each other just to be separated again by the ocean and the land.  
> But when it seemed all over, that's the chance for a new beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for this sequel is born after a weird dream. I wasn't sure to write it or not and it's been quite hard, you'll read why this was a risky path and forgive me if this will make you shed some tears. And if other things are too sugary.  
> This is just a fairytale anyway, I hope you'll enjoy it.

One last paddling and John let out a raspy grunt while his arms gave up and tossed the paddles in the ocean, letting them sink in the darkness. 

He had a long life across the seas, the old sailor, and now he felt like ending it where he belonged to: on a little boat in the middle of nowhere, as far as his tired arms could bring him. 

The old man laid down on his boat, a small shell made of cheap wood, and wondered how soon his death would've come. He coughed a couple of times and stared at the sunny sky. Maybe he would've fallen asleep, rocked by the waves, just to never wake up. Maybe a shark would've jumped up from the deep to eat him or maybe he was going to starve to death and then be eaten by seagulls. 

Anyway, he knew this was the place where he wanted to die.

His bones have been aching for years now and he was barely able to move one of his legs, while his lungs were filled with smoke. Probably his liver was gone as well, fucking rhum and his addiction. 

John didn't regret his life though. 

He had the luck to travel across the oceans and lands in different countries, explore the world and survive, he even met many women and loved some. 

Sadly he never settled down with any of them, no one was like  _ her _ , the only one he truly loved but couldn't have. The one whom he named and couldn't resist to call on those lonely nights on the deck. 

Veronica.

Wherever he was, he just needed to say her name and she appeared, always, to sing love songs to him and swim next to the vessel with the dolphins. Her smile always radiant, her beauty never fading while he got older and older with time. 

Now, on his small boat, a sad smile appeared on his lips. Unsure if he truly wanted to call her and break her heart while dying in her arms. 

But God knew how much he needed her company now, in his last moments… and so he surrendered and said her name in a whisper.

"Veronica." 

He waited for a moment in which he frantically prayed to not die, and then a soft thud made his boat sway. 

"Veronica?" He asked, his voice raspy.

"John?" She called him, but he couldn't see him because he was laying down and unable to get up.

"I'm… I'm here." 

He heard a splash and then she jumped on the boat, a bit clumsily because of her long tail. She even let out a squeal trying to balance herself that made him giggle. Then he coughed right after and she stared directly in his eyes, her face suddenly painting with worry as she saw his old and grey figure abandoned on the boat's floor.

"John, what happened?" She crawled next to him and his heart clenched at her unchanged beauty and her kind voice, the same who saved him many years before. 

"I'm old, my sunshine, I think I'll die soon. It's what happens to humans." He croaked, lifting a hand to caress her wet cheek. 

"No, no, that can't be…" Veronica pressed his big hand firmly on her cheek and nuzzled her nose against it, feeling his callous fingers against her soft skin. She was confused and scared, she had heard about other mermaids who lost their humans but no one ever told her it would've hurt this much. She never really thought about it, taking for granted that John would have always been with her, and only now she realized how silly that was.  


"I want to follow your adventures across the seas, I want to sing to you again and again, you can't die now John!" She found herself crying holding his hand and caressing his almost bald head. 

He smiled and shut his eyes allowing a couple of tears to run down his wrinkles. 

"Oh, Ronnie…" he whispered, knowing he broke her heart. And his own too, because of that. 

Feeling weaker every moment, John stared at the mermaid's face with his grey eyes, memorizing every inch of her in his mind for the last time. 

"Please, can you hold me tight? One last time?" He begged in a murmur. 

Veronica nodded, her sight so used at being underwater now blurry with tears. She accepted his request and leaned down, winding her pale arms around his warm and heavy body. She could've heard his heartbeat against her chest slowly fading and his breath getting weaker against her shoulder. 

"You know, sunshine…" he murmured in her hair, calling her by that nickname he gave her years before. "I've never loved anyone more than you… ever." 

Her body got shaken by a sob, her heart pierced by an invisible spear that felt like tearing her whole body apart while she felt one of his hands weakly sliding on her back, down to her waist, before landing on the boat's floor with a soft thud.

Another sob and the mermaid held him tighter, as if he were about to dissolve. Instead she felt him heavier, his warm breath no longer brushing her hair and his heartbeat against her chest faded until it went silent. 

Veronica broke the hug and stared at John's closed eyes, two shiny paths on his cheeks left by his own tears.

"John?" She whispered, expecting for him to wake up. To look in her eyes again with his irises of the same color of the cloudy sea. 

He told him she had loved her. 

But she hasn't been able to reply.

"John…?" she called him again, broken by the knot in her throat. 

She wanted to reply, she had to tell him she had loved him too, throughout all her life. 

She wanted to tell him she loved hearing his voice calling her name, she loved following his vessels around the world and singing love songs to him. She loved talking about him to her mermaid friends, telling them about his adventures. She always waited for him to call her and she imagined how it would've been if he were a merman too, swimming together in the ocean. 

But he couldn't listen anymore. 

Veronica's pale fingers clenched to his shirt and she let out a heartbroken wail, causing the waves around the boat to move at the sound. Everyone, in and out the ocean, would've heard her shattering scream of pain. 

When everything went quiet, she just rested her head on his silent chest and let her tears flow. 

\---*---

She didn't know for how long she had been crying on John's dead body, she just knew her own skin was now completely dry and she felt the sun settling on the horizon. 

A voice in her mind suggested her to stay there and let herself die in his arms. 

Another voice, louder, was stubbornly repeating to her how he never heard the  _ I love you _ that was still on her lips. 

And that she was a mermaid. An ancient mysterious being capable of using magic to save humans. She saved him more than once, this time was meant to be the last time.

A tiny light shone in her chest, an idea lighting up in her mind. Something buried among the most ancient legends of Atlantis, forgotten and probably untrue. 

It was the craziest and most desperate thing she's ever thought of.  


And so she used all her strength to lift John's still soft body and moved her tail back and forth until the little boat reversed and made both fall in the water. Ronnie cursed herself for having been so slow and prayed Poseidon for his blessing while swimming as fast as possible. 

Down, towards the abyss.

She had already waited too much, she had to be quick. Her tail ached for all the powerful thrusts but soon she arrived at Poseidon's temple: an ancient ship wrecked eons ago, hidden where no sunlight could reach, surrounded by the ocean's life. 

It was both abandoned and full of small creatures, a mystical glow enveloping it and making the water fizz with magic.

She let John's body float in front of her and felt her tears mixing with the sea.

_ Please, don't be too late. _

Her hands held his and she leaned forward, closing her eyes and pressing her lips against his, expressing her wish as loud as her mind could. 

Almost screaming her silent prayer to the ocean's magic.

Suddenly John's whole body started to glow, white and blinding like the full moon. 

Ronnie clamped a hand on her mouth, not really believing this was actually working and she thanked Poseidon for his miracle, while she admired John's body slowly changing his shape. His hair grew long, his legs fused in a merman tail and his old man appearance faded to become again the slim and handsome sailor he was 45 years before. 

When the white light faded, John opened his eyes and took a deep breath that filled his lungs with water; he looked around as if he had been awakened from a bad dream, trying to understand where he was and why he was breathing underwater. His eyes wandered on his new body, half human and half fish, where his human half looked exactly like him at the age he met Veronica and his fish tail was of the same green-grey as his irises. He also had some scales on his skin here and there, exactly like...

His awed gaze met Veronica's and when he opened his mouth trying to talk, she threw her arms around his neck and shushed him with another kiss. A real one, without magic involved but just all her love she's never been able to express. 

Somehow John knew it wasn't a dream, she was so real in his arms and all of this felt so right. 

"You didn't let me reply!" She cried out when she parted the kiss and almost yelled at him with a broken voice. He let out an inaudible gasp, realising she made this miracle for him.

"I love you too, John, I've always loved you even if we were so distant! I've never stopped thinking about you and I was always waiting for you to say my name so we could've been together!" The words rushed out from her lips like a flood before she blushed and hanged her head.  


“Now you know…” She added in a whisper.  


He stared at her a bit dumbfounded, remembering his own last words and how he felt shutting off without waiting for her reply, perhaps afraid that she would’ve neglected him.

_ What an idiot I’ve been. _

"Oh, Ronnie…" he whispered back with a soft chuckle. "You… you made this just to tell me that you love me? Is this the only reason you’ve brought me back to life?" 

Veronica's eyes widened, taken aback by the question. Yes, of course she did!

"I-I'm sorry, I… I should've asked?"

John waved his tail and bloomed in a joyful laugh. "And how could I reply? It's amazing, Veronica! You made a miracle just to let me know this… that you love me!" He let himself swim around her, adjusting to his new body, and spun her in his arms while his laugh never ceased. 

"It's amazing, oh how I love you!" He kissed her softly and their tails intertwined as Ronnie's heart fluttered. They stared into each other’s eyes, the mermaid still processing that John was now a merman and his grey eyes were shining in the greenest shade of the sea. 

"I've dreamed of this for so many years and now you made my dream come true..." He murmured, holding her close. 

Then John took her hands and pulled her along with him, waving his tail and smiling brightly. 

"Come on, Veronica! I can't wait to explore the seas under the surface… and at your side!" 

She let out a laugh and guided him through the oceans, their tails disappearing into the blue.


End file.
